Australian Army Band Adelaide Bugler, Corporal Andrew Barnett, plays the Last Post for World War One soldier, Private Miller Mack, during his reinterment service in Raukkan, South Australia on 24 March 2017. Photo by Sergeant W Guthrie.

WWI private returned to homeland

30/03/201730/03/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4235 Views 0 Comments

Australian Army soldiers from 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, commemorated the reinterment of Private Miller Mack, an Australian World War One soldier at Raukkan, South Australia on Friday 24 March 2017.

Private Mack was a 22 year old Aboriginal labourer from Raukkan, South Australia, when he left to fight in 1916 with the 50th Battalion who deployed on the Western Front.

While on the Western Front in 1917, Private Mack was gassed; suffering terrible effects like pulmonary oedema, skin lesions and blurred vision.

He was evacuated to England in July 1918 before returning home to Adelaide where he passed away on 3 September 1919, aged 25.

He was originally buried in the West Terrace cemetery in Adelaide prior to being reinterred at his traditional land in the Raukkan cemetery.

The reinterment was honoured with military and traditional indigenous ceremonies at the Raukkan community, followed by a formal service in the church and burial at the Raukkan cemetery.

The Australian Army commemorated Private Miller Mack’s reburial with a 12-man firing party, pall bearers and military orderlies during the ceremonies.